Yes, Metro has a plan to fight ridership declines. At least its staff does.

The leadership of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority doesn’t know how to fix the system’s ever-sliding ridership, but its staff apparently has an idea. The Washington Post obtained an internal report that addresses potential…

The leadership of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority doesn’t know how to fix the system’s ever-sliding ridership, but its staff apparently has an idea.

The Washington Post obtained an internal report that addresses potential fixes to “steep ridership losses,” which “threaten Metro’s mission and success as a business.” Metrorail ridership peaked in 2009 and has dropped steadily since 2015. Bus ridership has fallen precipitously since 2016.

At the same time, Metro has cut its rail hours, raised fares, shaken up schedules to allow for maintenance and increased the time between trains. It remains the region’s second choice for commuters in Greater Washington, behind the automobile, but for non-commutes, it is “neck-and-neck with ride-hailing firms for market share,” per the staff report.